Re: fridge problems
Reply #46 –
BJ,
I don't know what your refrig is like regards the installation. I'm talking about the distance between the back of the refrig and the outside wall. The floor plans for the 98 320 36' shows the back toward the side wall. I replaced mine with as close to original as possible when it was about 12 years old so I didn't have worry about a failure on a trip. I did take out a window, not real difficult if you are handy. I also borrowed a flat bed truck at the storage yard to stand on outside the window. Take the doors off the old and new units first. Helps to have a low sturdy table the height of the bottom of refrig cabinet. Installation instructions said the back wall should be close but not touching the back of the refrig, so I built a false wall to close up the space. It worked okay in Vagas in July. If you are not handy do not attempt. Hope the link to my old post works. The cooling could something as simple as a dirty flue stack, ie mud daubers, etc.
Foretravel Tech Talk / Re: Refrigerator not Cooling 
Didn't work so adding this.
Follow up to my previous post in this thread. Installed the new refrigerator and it worked. Replaced the Norcold 682 with a Norcold N841. Removed the window at the kitchen table to get the old one out and the new one in. Storage yard owner backed his flat bed truck up to the window so a couple of helpers could stand outside the window. Removed the refrig doors and they went in and out with the door opening down. Not very hard at all, nothing got scratched up. Had a furniture blanket on the window opening and table. I didn't have to do any trimming of the cabinet opening to get the new one it. It fit perfectly.
After removing the old refrigerator, I was somewhat appalled that Foretravel did not follow the installation instructions for the old refrig . Usually they are very good about that sort of thing. The area above the refrigerator was not blocked off and there was too much space behind the refrigerator. Apparently that is important as the airflow in at the bottom and out at the top works somewhat like a chimney does. Before I picked up the new one, I built a baffle wall to reduce the space behind the refrig. Just a couple of pieces of wood fastened to the wall with screws and piece of thin aluminum sheet metal fastened to the wood. I did put some fiberglass insulation behind the aluminum. Stapled some insulation to the ceiling above the refrig and added a piece of aluminum to block off that area. The ideal installation seems to have the refrig as close to the back wall as possible without touching it. Up to 1" space is okay; 1 - 2" add a couple of baffles; more than 2" build a baffle wall. The old instructions do not mention a baffle wall, but the new instructions do. Foretravel insulated the sides of the cabinet, a good thing, also the fit is very close on the sides which is good. I added some metal on the side wall near the burner exhaust where the foam was melted. It doesn't extend along the side of the refrig though as that would transfer heat into that area. The trim around the front of the new refrig is not quite as wide as the old trim. The wood outside the old trim is darker than what was under the old trim. Didn't look good, so masked off a small strip down the sides and painted it black. Needless to say both the old and new refrigerators went in and out of the cabinet several times, before everything was correct. This would have been a real problem without the little table level with the bottom of the opening.
Started the refrig at 10:30 am with the temp setting at 5 (range 1-9), shut off the generator and air conditioning and went home. Returned at 7 pm 8 1/2 hours later; coach interior 106 F, outside 99 F, Freezer 0 F, Refrig 39 F. At 10:30 am the next morning coach interior 91 F, outside 87 F, freezer -2 F, refrig 37 F. I think it is working okay. I have no fans, but nothing was in the refrigerator and the doors stayed closed. The temperature shot up to about 50 F in the refrig shortly after opening the door.
There are some differences between the old and new. Some of the plumbing on the back is different but the major parts are in the same places. An overheat sensor has been added near the burner area. There is supposed to be an audible alarm for door open, no flame, no ac, etc I haven't heard it, but the visual indications work as advertised. The manuals are rather hard to use, all the illustrations are on the last pages after the french section. The wiring diagrams have lots of numbers and letters that have to be looked up in the middle of the book. Finally printed out that page from the website to make it easier. Norcold does have a manuals section on their website.
Inserts for the door are purchased separately and the old ones are not wide enough for the new doors. I made my own from 1/4" oak plywood which is 7/32" thick, still too thick as 3/16" is specified as the correct thickness for an insert. Plywood will work though if the edge thickness is reduced with a belt sander on the back side. There is still space between the panel and the door in the middle area. I choose plywood over plastic as it is has slightly better insulating qualities. Sealed both sides with 2 coats of thin dewaxed shellac and 3 coats of Miniwax satin finish polyurethane on the good side. Light sanding between coats. Shellac is not water resistant, but it does slow down the movement of moisture in and out of the wood. The color match with what is in the coach is very close.
Topic: fridge problems